Traditional Chinese medicine believes that “people and arteries have the same lifespan,” meaning that vascular health is directly related to longevity. Blood vessels are like pipes in the body, and as age increases, they are prone to accumulate “junk,” form plaques, and may lead to serious consequences like stroke and heart attack.
How to assess one’s “vascular age”? Try the fist-clenching self-test: clench your fist for a few seconds and then release, observe how quickly the color returns to your palm. If the color rapidly returns within 3 seconds, it indicates good vascular health; 3 to 5 seconds suggest the vascular condition is still good; over 5 seconds may indicate a decrease in vascular elasticity, surpassing the actual physiological age. Studies have shown that individuals with higher vascular “age” have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, and even some young individuals undergoing medical examinations have found their vascular age far exceeding their actual age, reaching levels of fifty or sixty years old.
Vascular blockage is the primary threat to health as it restricts blood circulation, leading to inadequate blood supply to the heart, manifesting as symptoms like dizziness and chest tightness, and in severe cases, it can result in a heart attack or stroke. On the other hand, reduced vascular elasticity not only affects blood pressure regulation but also contributes to the occurrence of hypertension and coronary heart disease.
Fortunately, through effort, we can help our blood vessels regain a youthful state. Maintaining regular exercise such as jogging, yoga, or cycling for at least 30 minutes a day can promote blood circulation and lower blood lipids. In terms of diet, reducing intake of high-fat and high-fat foods, increasing the proportion of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, controlling salt intake to reduce fat accumulation in the blood is beneficial.
It is worth noting that individuals who are inactive for long periods, smoke, stay up late, are under prolonged high pressure, are obese, or have hypertension and high blood lipids are more susceptible to vascular aging. Those with these issues should adjust their lifestyle habits promptly.
Preventing vascular diseases requires attention to the following points: since early vascular diseases often go unnoticed, regular vascular health checks are particularly important. In addition, maintaining an optimistic attitude and avoiding significant emotional fluctuations is key, as prolonged negative emotions can lead to poor vascular constriction and affect blood pressure stability.
Once aware of the importance of vascular health, we all desire to have young blood vessels that defy age. Therefore, starting now, let us take action and actively maintain vascular health.
